Pea-sheller.



No. 772,691. I PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

F. H. CHASE.

PEA SHELLER.

TION FILED JAN 8 1904.

APPL N0 MODEL. 4 $HEBTS--SHEET l.

No. 772,691. PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

P. H. CHASE.

PEA SHELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1904' no MODEL. '76 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z V f No. 772,691. PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

F. H. CHASE.

PEA SHELLER. APPLICATION FILED JAN 8, 1904.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

4 No. 772,591. PATENTED 001218, 1904."

'' FQH. OHASB.

PEA SHELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 3, 1904, N0 MODEL. 7 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- line 22 of Fig. 1.

Patented October 18, 1904.

- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK cHAs OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

PEA-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7'72,691, dated October 18, 1904.

Application filed January 8. 1.904.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. OHAsn, a'citi' zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Pea-Shellers, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of this-invention is to provide a machine for shelling peas in the same manner that a pod is broken to discharge the peas when rolled between the hands.

' 1 A further object of the inventionis to provide a machine for rapidly and thoroughly In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the Fig. 3 1s a sectional view on the l1ne'3 3 of Fig. 1.

for cleaning. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively back and front views of the rubbing-bed.

In the drawings like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures, and referring thereto 9 designates a,

main frame of any suitable character adapted to carry the several parts of the machine. A carrier-frame 10 is pivotally mounted on the drive-shaft 12, which is ,journaled in bearings 13 in the main frame. This carrier-frame is provided with a hopper 11 and is adjustably secured in upright position by means of a screw-nut 14, working on a threaded bolt 15, secured to the main frame at the top thereof and passing through a slot or opening 16 in the carrier-frame. I prefer to provide'a nut 17 on the bolt to be screwed up against the carrier-frame and form a firm and solid backing therefor when the latter is properly Fig. 4 is a side ele, vation showing the several parts opened up SerialNo. 188,226. (No model.)

from the hopper into operative engagement with the bed, and as one form thereof I have shown a carrier formed of-jointed sections 19,

pivotally connected by the-pins 20 and carrying the rolling-strips 21. This carrier is driven by sprockets-22 on the drive-shaft 12, and the latter is operated by a crank-handle 23 or by power otherwise applied, as may be desired. The teeth of the sprockets engage projections 24 on the inner side of the carrier,

and the latter travels over sprockets 25, mounted on a roller 26, journaled in bearings near the I top of the carrier-frame. A tension device 27 is provided on each side of the carrier-frame for thepurpose of adjusting the shaft26 and regulating the tension of the carrier. One or more buckets 28 is pivotally mounted on the carrier and is provided with'teeth 29, which pass up between the teeth 30 on the plate 31 at the bottom of the hopper, this plate being provided to permit the pods in the hopper to lie close against the carrier, so that as the bucket passes up by the plate 31 it will always be loaded with one or more of the pods in the hopper and carry them into engagement with the bed on the bed-frame 32. The bed is composed of a series of wires 33, which are fastened to the back of the bed-frameby screws 34 and pass through openings 35 in the top of the bed-frame and have their ends 36 hooked into the openings 37. Another series of Wires 38 are fastened to the back of thebed-frame by the screws 39 and pass through openings 40 therein and down into slots 41 in the bottom 42 of the bed-frame. The lower ends of these wires 38 are bent forward, as shown in Fig. 2, to facilitate discharging the pod' from the'machine. The wires 33 and 38 interlap alternately with each other at that part of the bed where the most effective work is to be done, and they are so constructed and arranged on the bed-frame that they are capable of yielding toa limited extent in every direction, and thus provide for pods and peas of all sizes and conditions and avoid injuring the pea byany fixed resistance thereto. Iprefer to crimp the wires in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 to cause the'pod to be rubbed and rolled between the carrier and the bed in a manner similar to rolling a pod between the hands. This rubbing action causes the pod to open and the peas to be discharged therefrom, and as the wires of the bed are separated and only rigidly fastened at one end it will be readily understood that they will give and bend independently in any direction and to any extent to accommodate the pods and without injuring the peas in any way. This 1 consider an important feature of my invention, as it enables me to shell all kinds of peas rapidly and in a thorough manner without bruising or crushing the peas, which to a very large extent would reduce their value for canning and preserving purposes. The bucket 28 is pivotally connected in any suitable manner to one of the pins 20 to swing closely against the adjacent section 19 when passing by the bed, as shown in Fig. 2, and in order to bring the bucket up into operative position again after passing beyond the bed I provide it with a heel 43 on one or both of its ends to engage a shoulder ts on the adjacent side of the carrier-frame. I may form this shoulder conveniently by providing a depression 45 in the side of the carrierframe, and the adjusting device 27 can be located in this depression, as shown in Fig. 4. When the bucket begins its upward travel below the hopper-plate 31, its heel will engage said shoulder and this will throw the bucket up into operative position to engage and carry a pod from the hopper. After the bucket has delivered the pod to the bed it automatically swings back out of operative position and does not in any way act upon the bed-wires or interfere with the rolling operation which separates the peas from the pods.

A bed-frame is pivotally connected at 46 to the upper part of the main frame, and it is adjusted in proper relation to the carrier by means of a nut 48, working on a threaded bolt 49, which projects through a slot or opening 50 in an arm 51 at the bottom of the bedframe. The adjustment of the bed-frame at its bottom and of the carrier-frame at its top permits the carrier and bed to be adjusted in proper relation to each other as may be required or desirable for shelling different varieties or grades of peas. This adjustment will be found very convenient because the sheller can thus be easily and quickly adapted to operate with greater facility than otherwise, perhaps, by adjusting the carrier and bed relatively as may be found most desirable in shelling soft or hard large or small peas or which may be otherwise classified.

The machine can be very easily cleaned by swinging the carrier-frame down into hori- Zontal position, as shown in Fig. 4, and releasing the bed-frame, so that it can be swung up into horizontal position, which exposes all of the operative parts of the machine and enables them to be thoroughly cleaned. The carrier can be operated while the carrierframe is in horizontal position, so that access can be had to all parts of the carrier to cleanse it.

The operation of the machine is very easily understood and has been indicated quite fully in the preceding description. The peas are deposited in the hopper 11 and the crankhandle operated to actuate the carrier. The bucket will carry one or more pods around into engagement with the bed and then swing out of operative position,leaving the strips 21 and the pivots 20 to carry the pods downward against the bed and cause it to turn over and over by reason of the rolling action between the carrier and bed. This rolling action will split the pods and liberate the peas, which are discharged between the wires and. into a receptacle conveniently located behind the machine. The empty pods are moved on to the bottom of the bed and discharged into a receptacle beneath the hopper at the front of the machine. The construction of this machine provides for separating with a certainty all the peas from the pods after they have been broken, and it will be observed that the carrier and bed are slightly tilted and that the peas will pass between the wires 38 below the ends of the wires 33 if they do not pass through the bed above said ends 36, and the resiliency of the wires and their capability of moving to a limited extent in any direction absolutely prevents injury to the peas. I have referred to the fact that the wires are crimped, as shown in Fig. 2, and this is for the purpose of providing the bed with a. rough surface, so that the pods will be rubbed and turned over and not slide on the bed. I do not limit myself to this particular way of making the bed, as other ways of providing this rough surface may be employed without departing from the invention. 1 would also have it understood that I do not limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of the various parts of the invention, but reserve the right to make all such changes therein which fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

hile this invention is designed more cspecially as a pea-sheller, I am aware that it may be used with equally satisfactory results for other purposes with such changes as may be necessary to adapt it for a particular purpose, and 1 wish to be understood as claiming all the uses to which the invention may be put.

1 have referred to the fact that my invention is designed to work on the principle of rolling a pod between the hands to open it, and I believe that the similarityof action will be clearly understood. The action of the carrier in moving the pod along against the resistance afforded by the bed results in turning the pod over and rending and splitting it,

as distinguished from crushing it, in the same manner it would be opened in the hands. This operation is conducted without crushing the peas, and itmaybe performed with hard or soft small or large peas with equally satisfactory results, and it is to facilitate this rolling action that the bed is roughened in the manner shown or otherwise. I do not mean that the pods arenecessarily turned'over and overand over untiland after they are opened, but simply that a rolling action of 'sufficient character is provided to open the pod and liberate the peas, which may be done without rolling the pod completely over. a

The wires constituting the bed are independent of each other and made substantially U-shaped with one end only fastened to the bed-frame, so tlfat the other-end and also the bent portion is capable of yielding to about the same pressure.

the same tension throughout that part which is adapted tobe engaged-by the pod and this prevents the peas from being crushed and enables the machine to be properly adjusted to the class of peas being operated upon.

said bed.

3. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a bed composed of separated wires fixed at one end and free at the other, and means for moving the pods against saidbed.

4. In a pea-sheller, the combination of abed composed of separated yielding wires fixed at one end and free at the other, and means for moving the pods against said bed.

5. Inapea-sheller, the combination of abed composed of substantially U shaped wires fixed at one end and free at the other, and means for moving the pods against said bed.

6. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a bed composedof separated and substantially U- shaped wires fixed at one end and free at the other, and means for moving the pods against said bed.

7. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a belt-carrier for carrying the pods intoshellingposition, and a bed composed of wires each composed of-a numberof wires each fastened at one end and bent uponitself and crimped This construction pro-. vides a yielding bed which has approximately at that part which the pods engage, and means for moving'the pods against said bed.

10. In apea-sheller, the combination of a bed formed of two series of separated interlapping wires, and meansfor pressing and moving the pods against said bed with a roll-- ing action to open the pods and liberate the peas. Y 1

11. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a bed formed of two series of separated interlapping yieldingwires,'and means for pressing and moving the pods against said bed with a rolling action to open the pods and liberate the peas.

12. In apea-sheller, the combination of a bed formed of two series of'se'parated interlapping crimped wires, and means for pressing and moving the pods'against said bed with a rolling action to open the podsand liberate the peas.

13. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a bed formed of two series of yieldingly-supported separated interlapping crimped'wires, and means for pressing and moving the pods against said bed with a rolling action to open the pods and liberate the peas.

14. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a bed formed of two series of'separated interlapping wires arranged in staggered relation,

and means for pressing and moving the pods against said bed with a rolling action to open the pods and liberate the peas.

1 5. In a pea-sheller, the combination of'a bed consisting of an upper series of bent wires fastened at one end and a lower series of wires interlapping the upper series, and means for pressing and moving the pods against saidv bed with a rolling action to open the pods and liberate the peas.

16. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a carrier and a bed, and means at opposite endsof the carrier and bed for adjusting them bodily and relatively.

17. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a main frame, and a carrier and a bed pivotally mounted at opposite ends in said frame and arranged substantially parallel to each other.

18. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a main frame, and a'carrier and a bed pivotally mounted at opposite ends and independently of each other in said frame and arranged substantially parallel 'to'each other.

19. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a mainframe, and a carrier and a bed pivotally mounted at opposite ends in said frame and adjustable relatively at their other ends.

20. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a main frame, and a carrier and a bed pivotally mounted at opposite ends in said frame and tilted from the perpendicular in substantially parallel planes.

21. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a main frame, a carrier-frame and an independ-' ent bed-frame pivoted at opposite ends to the main frame and arranged in substantially parallel inclined planes, a carrier in the carrierframe, and a bed on the bed-frame.

22. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a main frame, a carrier-frame, a hopper thereon, a carrier traveling in said frame and through the hopper in an inclined plane, a bucket on the carrier, a bed-frame behind the carrier-frame, and a bed on said bed-frame inclined to correspond substantially with the inclination of the carrier.

23. In a pea-sheller, the combination of a fixed flexible bed, a carrier traveling adjacent to the bed, a pivoted bucket on the carrier for carrying the pods into shelling position between said carrier and bed, means on the carrier for advancing the pods over the bed, said bed being constructed to permit the passage of the shelled peas therethrougl'i and said carrier being constructed to prevent the 20 passage of the peas therethrough.

FRANK H. CHASE.

Witnesses:

\VM. 0. BELT, RITA WINTER. 

